Lullaby
by NatsuhiNamikaze
Summary: She was sure that if she would muster up her strength and not yield to the invincible temptation of simply falling asleep in his tender arms then she could still smell the long withered flowers and feel the warm sunlight on her skin as his soft, melancholy voice sang about long dead people of old times and nearly forgotten places. Brelice


**Summary:** She was sure that if she would muster up her strength and not yield to the invincible temptation of simply falling asleep in his tender arms then she could still smell the long withered flowers and feel the warm sunlight on her skin as his soft, melancholy voice sang about long dead people of old times and nearly forgotten places.

 **Disclaimer:** Pandora Hearts is owned by its respective owners, I don't make money with this stories, I simply use the characters to satisfy my cravings for more Brelice fics. Heck, if I made even a dollar with the love-childs of my brain I probably would be running my own company. =) Also the song I used here is _'New Unknown Lands'_ and its owned by the most amazing _**Alkonost**_ =D

 **Special thanks to:** the amazing _Brelice4eva,_ keep doing your thing! =)

 **Lullaby**

Alice was fairly sure it was all Break's fault. After all if it wasn't for the clown bastard, then she wouldn't be in this –

Predicament.

Yes, that was the only way to describe it. Because how else would you call it when you felt so cold and trembled uncontrollably even though you was under a million blankets? When you was tucked in a comfy warm bed, but your body was weak and hurt all over, just like on that morning right after the graduation party Oz's uncle held? Or to top off your constant sneezing and sore throat, your nose hurt and was red and ran nonstop the last three days?

And it was all the clowny bastard's fault. Because it was _he_ who came up with the ridiculous idea of ice-skating on one fine snowy day. And the others just had to jump on the bandwagon with his stupid idea.

Alice, come play with us, they said.

No way in the deepest pits of Hell will she be agreeing to anything the Clown suggests. Not yet anyway. You see, old habits die hard.

But no matter how hard she fought or how angrily she hissed from behind the sofa she was occupying only a minute ago, but she was mercilessly tugged out by a way too gleeful Sharon and Oz.

The blond pair dressed her in a coat that was a little too big for her and a suspiciously pink scarf that somehow choked her more and more as she tried to rip it off her neck.

It will be fun, they said.

Heh, as if, she snorted from her seat as Oz tied the bladed shoes' laces for her –

On second thought, it will be nice to kick the asses or at the very least the shins of both Seaweed Head and the Pierrot. She could tolerate these ridiculous shoes for that sole reason for the time being. Maybe she even gets lucky and can kick somewhere _higher_. (No, Alice was **not** a sore loser over last Friday's Cards Against Humanity game. Not at all. She just knew they must've stole the funniest cards before shuffling the deck the second time. Otherwise how could they get the most hilarious combos? It was clear as day that they somehow, someway made an evil alliance just to get on her nerves. Yep, that was the only logical conclusion once the always tricky and cheating Clown Bastard lose to Raven the second ticket and the opportunity to see Deadpool with Oz – first place in the game deciding who will get the only two tickets they could get on the premiere night.)

Everyone can skate, even Gilbert, they said.

'Bullshit,' Alice chocked back another angry and frustrated whimper after falling down the sixth time, 'say that to my ass, will you? Also, laugh while you still can you white haired creep, 'cause next time you tauntingly glide over here you'll be the one to fall on your face!'

"Now, now, Wifey." the albino man skidded to a stop next to her (apparently he was finished with his warming up rounds) as Alice clung to the small fence of the ice rink for dear life. He wore that stupid(ly sexy, that is. Something she should not notice now, the girl reminded herself.) smile of his, the one he wore when he was scheming something. "We can't have that frown mar such a pretty face now, can we?" he said while stretching the corners of her mouth upwards into a smile that fell as soon as he took his fingers away.

Any other time she would've said 'Go to Hell, Clown!' or something to that effect. Right now however, she was more concerned with keeping her balance on the slippery ground than throwing some well-deserved shade at the white haired idiot.

It was all in vain however. Her legs gave out, and with a small scream (that instantly made its way on the top part of 'Xerxes Break's Grand Masterlist of Most Favourite Noises Alice Baskerville Makes') she –

did not fall on her ass yet again? What the hell?

She slowly opened her eyes when the feeling of the fall and the cold, hard ground never came. She came to regret her decision not a moment later and her cheeks got at least three shades darker that when later asked (or more likely interrogated by the evil blond duo) she would blame on the cold.

"If you wanted to be held by me, you should've just asked, Bunny Rabbit~!" He looked way too pleased with himself to be innocent, clearly enjoying the whole situation – holding her in a low dip and so close that every hot breath he exhaled fanned over her slightly parted lips.

"Dickhead." she hissed, half angry at him for not closing that small distance between them and half angry at herself for wanting him to.

"Aww, don't be such a spoil sport!" he laughed light-heartedly as he straightened them both upright. "Let's have our comeback and run circles around all these losers." he smirked and stuck out his tongue at an annoyed-looking Gilbert who just glided past them.

"No way." she replied as she was making her way towards the exit. While any other day the prospect of defeating everyone would be tempting, right now however, it just did not seemed to worth it. "It's too cold and I'm sitting this out with some cinnamon apple tea, thank you very much."

"But you'll never learn how to skate if you wrap yourself up in a cocoon on the bleachers." he pouted and quickly grabbed her hand before she could escape.

"I know how to skate, stupid clown." Nope. She was not at all ready to admit any weaknesses. He would use it to tease her mercilessly. "I just hate it."

"Oh?" He somehow looked challenging and skepticism incarnate. A very dangerous combination indeed. "Then surely it won't be any problem for you to keep up now, would it?" and off he went with dragging her after himself.

"Are you insane?" she screamed on top of her lungs, dangerously uneven on her legs and going about 30 miles per hour in the midst of more experienced skaters. To say that her danger senses was off the chart was an understatement at the very least.

"Mad as a hatter, my dear!" he had the nerve to glance back at her laughing which ultimately resulted in the foreseeable outcome of a natural disaster in the form of him stumbling on a crack on the ice and several others crashing into and falling over them.

In a matter of seconds the rink transformed into a dog-pile of the skaters' bodies randomly thrown together while the two of them ended up quite a way away from all the mayhem in the rather compromising position of him laying on top of her with his arms wrapped protectively around her head. The Hell? So apparently the clown bastard learned some teleporting tricks in the circus.

"You okay?" he asked when the dust somewhat settled down and everybody was too busy to untangle themselves from the chaos to bother with lynching the instigator of it all. But most of them was grumbling about it as well as elaborate plans about where to find pitchforks and torches and some very creative ways to deal with the cause of their current misfortune. Alice was half-tempted to take notes for future reference though.

"Worry about if you will still be in one piece once the Seaweed Head gets his hands on you, idiot." she prod towards the general direction of one intensely flushed seaweed furiously apologizing to one immensely amused blond manservant of hers.

"I think he'll be too busy thanking me to be mad." he snickered before leaning down to give a quick peck on her lips that left her strangely unsatisfied and wanting for... something. She wasn't exactly sure what, just that it was something 'more'. "Well then Wifey, I believe I owe you some apple and cinnamon tea with some gingerbread cookies." it was creepy how happy he could be even with multiple death threats looming above his head as he helped her up and dragged her towards the food courts.

He was gentler with her since that night on one of the last few days of Advent. That afternoon they ran into each other by chance in the middle of the main street, shopping for Christmas presents and decorations. It was one of those rare times when they met without one of their shared friends; getting hot chocolate and roasted chestnuts as they leisurely explored the Advent Fair.

As afternoon turned into early night they browsed stalls and booths holding hands (not to get separated in the swarm of busy last-minute shoppers) and chatting happily when he suddenly stopped. During their time together he was acting strangely – a little distant and as if deep in thought – and the look on his face made her heart jump into her throat and her breath stop.

"I love you." he whispered reverently as if the very words were sacred to him. "Please go out with me."

Words escaped her, making her to settle on a dazed bow of her head, but it proved to be enough for him. He stepped closer, all the while stroking her burning cheeks with his thumb and slowly closing the distance between them.

His one visible eye was like a dancing flame, hypnotic and playful, yet she felt like had she not closed her own eyes and continued to stare into his ruby one, she would've surely burned like those stupid moths who got too close to the candles at the midnight summer grill parties.

She was hyper-aware of everything he was doing, from how soft his lips were as they guided hers on their dance to how sweet he smelled compared to other men and how warm his embrace was. Yet at the same time she was oblivious to anything happening outside their little bubble; her whole world shrinking to just the two of them in that moment.

Her moment however, was interrupted by an overly happy tune with some fumbling and barely audible cursing following close behind. Wait! She could recognize that Narwhal Song ringtone anywhere!

"Why are you here?" she croaked out groggily when her white haired boyfriend stepped inside her bedroom balancing a tray of steaming hot chicken soup in one hand and whatever he was currently working on in the other.

"Ah, the small perks of having a Ph.d.: research leave, a.k.a. extra days of vacation." he carefully put down the food on her lap and she could not help but roll her eyes once she saw the heart-shaped carrot pieces in it. "Which reminds me, how is your report coming along? I heard the deadline is in a week from now." He just had the nerve to ask her that as he sat back on the chair he pulled up next to her bed.

"Bastard. You know full well I can't work on it like this." she irritably gestured to the mountains of used tissues and empty medicine boxes as she wolfed down the last of her dinner. "So take full responsibility and write it for me!"

"But I know nothing of the subject?" He also had the nerve to look innocent which made her to sulk more and inch away when he went in for a hug. "You love me." he smiled warmly. It was not one of his idiotic smirks nor his Cheshire-like grin, but a real smile. Sure, it was barely more than a near unnoticeable curl of his lips, but it was real nonetheless.

"Regretfully." she too could not stop a smile growing on her face as she looked at the mess the cups of menthol tea (good for opening up sinuses, Wifey!), opened boxes of honey flavored mints (good for your throat!) and story books (good for your soul!) covering every flat surface of the room.

It warmed her heart how much he was trying to nurse her back to health, taking time out from his work and crashing at her place to be able to be at her back and call, falling over himself to satisfy her every whim and fancy.

This time she did not move away when he tried to hug her, full-heartedly reciprocating the gesture. But this was where she had drown the figurative line with the display of affection, seeing she had no desire to trade places with him should he catch her cold. The Great Alice Baskerville was no one's servant and that was the end of every conversation on the subject.

The Clown – as she oh so affectionately named her boyfriend months before they even started dating – however did not seemed to get the memo, or more likely choose not be bothered by it as evidenced by the fact that he not only stealthily inched right next to her on the bed during their Archer Netflix marathon night, but decided that it was the single acceptable place for him to sleep that night, throwing the covers over himself and curling up beside her.

"Get out, I'm sick." she croaked out half-heartedly, pulling back the blanket not as to better cover herself (he already made sure she was satisfactorily – at least for him – covered with the five blankets he piled on top of her) but to get him to leave. What she accomplished however was the complete opposite.

"Your cheeks are a lovely shade of rose." he chuckled as he put his arms around her while snuggling up to her. He rested his head so close to hers on the pillow that he could count each individual eyelash if he wanted to. "I feel like I'm falling in love with you all over again."

"Ass. I sweated all over the sheets. It's gross." Alice grumbled, her cheeks darkening that she would later blame on her fever. Surprisingly the white haired man did not comment on it if he noticed.

"Aww, are you still grumpy?" instead he pinched her cheeks, eyes warm with affection and mischief. "I know what will make your heart warm: a goodnight song!"

"A song." she deadpanned, not at all amused with his idea or assault on her face.

"Not just any song, but a lullaby!" his voice was airy and cheerful but lacked the fakeness that usually permeated it. The thought of him being happy and enjoying himself (this time at no one's expense) made her heart race and caused all kinds of funny feelings inside her that could not be written off as her illness worsening. "I learned it from my mother." he added solemnly, interpreting her silence as hesitancy.

It was rare for him to bring up his past, much less on his own volition. It was a golden opportunity she was not at all ready to pass up. "Knock yourself out then."

"Hmm?"

"Your song." she said as she burrowed her rosy cheeks in embarrassment under her blankets. This whole relationship and dating thing was still new to her after all. "Sing it."

Amusement shone in his eye, but he did not comment on her childish actions. Instead he nestled closer to her and fixed the covers around them before starting the song. Alice had to admit his voice was pretty good even if her fever made it hard for her to concentrate on it.

Maybe it wasn't something that she would pick out from others on the radio in any other situation, but the thought that she was the only audience for his private concert made her heart melt a little. Only a little and you did not hear it from her. In fact you did not hear it at all.

While listening to his performance Alice fluttered in and out of consciousness, only spending a few moments in one domain before drifting into the other, dancing on the delicate line between sleep and awakeness; trying her hardest to listen and not fall entirely into the darkness.

She was sure that if she would muster up her strength and not yield to the invincible temptation of simply falling asleep in his tender arms then she could still smell the long withered flowers and feel the warm sunlight on her skin as his soft, melancholy voice sang about long dead people of old times and nearly forgotten places.

Right now however, she was content with staying here in his arms.

 **Authoress' Notes:** This fic is set in the same universe and connected with Something Blue. Also I strongly headcanon that Break would be a well-meaning but an asshole of a boyfriend. XD

Don't forget to share your thoughts with me!

~Natsuhi


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